The invention relates to a linear guiding device of the type having a guide rail with a longitudinal axis and a main body of a bearing that is guided by rolling-element circuits along the guide rail. An end plate is attached to at least one end surface of the main body of the bearing, the end plate having a contact surface facing one of the end surfaces of the main body of the bearing. A deflection duct, which is recessed into the contact surface of the end plate, is provided for at least one rolling-element circuit, the defection duct constituting an outer deflecting surface for a deflection-arc segment of the rolling-element circuit. A receiver duct, which is also recessed into the contact surface, receives a deflection piece. The receiver duct crosses the deflection duct, in order that the deflection piece may also cross the deflection duct. The deflection piece faces, with a breast surface located near the end surface, the end surface of the main body of the bearing, and the deflection piece has in addition a convex back surface located opposite the outer deflecting surface, the back surface forming for the deflection-arc segment an inner deflecting surface located opposite the outer deflecting surface. At least one portion of a lubricant-supply system for the rolling-element circuit, of which there must be at least one, is contained in the end plate in a location inside the receiver duct accommodating the deflecting piece and is open toward the rolling elements of the rolling-element circuit in the area of the inner deflecting surface of the deflecting piece.
A linear guiding unit of the type described above is known from EP-B10 211 243 and from the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,124.
In the known embodiments, the lubricant-supply system is formed over a considerable portion of its length by a lubricant channel recessed into the contact surface of the end plate, which channel is covered by being fitted against the end surface of the main body of the bearing and is connected at each of its ends with a receiver duct accommodating the deflecting piece.
In each of the two deflection-piece receiver ducts, there is accommodated a deflection piece. By means of the deflection piece and the respective deflection-piece receiver duct, there are formed end-distribution regions of the lubricant-supply system, located close to the rolling elements. In other words, under these circumstances, the lubricant distribution is based on the principle of creating, within the contact surface of the respective end plate, a duct system which is totally open towards the contact surface; in the region of the deflection-arc segments of the rolling-element circuits, the duct system is then completed by the deflecting pieces pertaining to them.
From EP-A1-0 120 093, there is known a linear guiding device which also has end plates at the end surfaces of the main body of the bearing. Once again, this form of embodiment provides, in the end plates, at least a part of a lubricant-supply system to supply with lubricant the deflection-arc segments of the circuits of rolling elements. In that case, a lubricant channel constituting a significant portion of the length of the respective end plate's lubricant-supply system consists of a sandwich-type superposition of an intermediate plate and a cover plate, which together form the end plate. The lubricant channel is defined in its cross-section by a slot of the intermediate plate and is completed by the cover plate.